


Captain Metal Leg and the Elric Pirates

by charismawizard



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Based on a headcanon I came up, Family Bonding, Fluff, Other, Post Promised Day, i dont think so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 13:38:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6521989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charismawizard/pseuds/charismawizard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Edward Elric is left to care for his children and he reflects on his life since the Promised Day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captain Metal Leg and the Elric Pirates

“Alright, you scurvy dogs! Who’s ready for adventure on high seas?!” Ed exclaimed, his hands set firmly on his waist as a cheek-splitting grin curved across his face.

The two bumbling blondes slammed into one another, falling on the floor and giggling madly as they exclaimed, “Me!”

Ed pushed his blonde locks beneath his hat, signaling towards the horizon, “I see, now with my loyal crew! We shall pillage the seven seas for treasure! Because who are we, mateys?!”  


“The Elric Pirates!” The children then jumped to their feet, scurrying out the front door as Ed suddenly realized his crew was already half way down the road. His eyes widened as he then realized his “co-captain” wouldn’t appreciate it if he lost their only crew members.

“Hey! Nina! Maes! Wait for me before you go running down the street!” Ed exclaimed, bolting after them.

 

_Ever since their children were born five years earlier, Ed had originally found himself treating Nina and then eventually, Maes, like China dolls. Afraid that he would break them if even so much as made them cry and like hell, he had any idea how to make them feel better. Al had always been the more sensitive, perceptive brother while Ed was far more- abrasive._

_He remembered those first days after Nina was born like the back of his hand, Winry often spent time dozing off between occasional feedings which meant he and the newborn were alone. Ed sat to the side, watching the child’s crib from a rocking chair as he anxiously wringed his hands._

_“Well- I guess it’s just me and you, huh?” Ed asked into nothing, Nina also caught up in her napping. “You probably already know this- but I’m your dad.”_

_The way the word rolled off his tongue felt so foreign, but not in an unpleasant manner where the words didn’t fit into his mouth, but rather in such way where it felt as if he were just learning to speak… As he never thought he’d see the day where father wasn’t met with another bitter thought towards his own past._

_It was the type of word that felt as if when he said it, it was a secret meant to be contained… Dad… He approached the young girl’s crib, stroking her soft golden hair. She had the same eyes as his mother, eyes such an intense shade of brown-- it seemed otherworldly. Which only made him wriggle internally as every time he looked into those eyes, he made a list of every way he could ruin her life, wound her feelings, and make the same mistakes his father once made._

_And that terrified him._

_His hand began to pull back before a calloused, pale hand grabbed his own gently. Ed turned back only to see Winry returning his stare with a gentle gaze as she pat his hand, “Don’t be afraid, she’s not going to bite.”_

_Ed sighed, “But what if- what if I mess her up? What if I mess her up like I messed up Al?”_

_“You’re not going to mess her up, you want to know why I know that?” She asked._

_“Why?”_

_“Because Alphonse Elric is a perfectly healthy human man in his early twenties, travelling Xing and studying alkahistory. And that’s because his older brother dedicated all those years to bringing him back.” Winry gently allowed their hands to come between them. “Ed, I know you’re going to be a great father. Because you’re already a great brother….”_

 

Maes giggled as his father’s muscular arms wrapped around both toddlers pulling them back into his arms as he then declared, “Got ya! Thought you could abandon ship, huh? Well- you can’t escape my ship! We’re a crew!”

Ed then began to tickle the two furiously, leaving them cackling for breath and asking their dad to stop, to which the much older blonde obliged, “Well, I guess I’ll let you off with a warning this time, but next time- you walk the plank! Rawr!”  


The young children squealed as their father threw his arms up in the air, his fingers forming claws as Edward chased them away from the gravel road and back towards the soft, dewed grass of the Elric home. All of them tripping over one another and into the green bedding. The older sibling turned to her father, her blonde braids now laced with grassy remains, “Daddy, can you sing that song again? The one about the pirates?”  


 

_“Alright, that should be all!” Winry exclaimed, her expression a firm concentration of concern and satisfaction. “I got groceries for dinner for the next week and I rescheduled all of my appointments for next week- OH! Maes sleeps better when he’s sang to at night, and-”_

_Ed chuckled, “I know! I know, Winry! They’re my kids too, ya know? They’ll be fine, it’s only a week! You’ll be back before you know it.”_   


_Winry sighed, “I hope so, just- call me, okay?”_

_The blonde male leaned over, pecking her cheek, “Of course, now go! You’re gonna miss your train!”_

_As if on cue, a whistle squealed in the background, Winry’s eyes widening as she then leaned over to hug her children and murmur “be good”s and “I love you”s as she then grabbed her luggage and ran towards the open passenger car-- Leaning out the door as she declared to Ed, “Hey! Ed!”_

_“What?!” He shouted back._

_“I love you!”_

_“I love you too, Win!”_

_And with that, the train was gone. Leaving Nina, Maes, and Ed to their own devices. Ed turned to his children, squatting down to meet them at eye level as he asked them, “What do you want to do?”_

_  
_ _The kids looked at each other for a moment, before their faces lit up, “Play pirate!"_

 

And thus, the Elric offspring and their father began a new tradition when their mother was away for her bi-monthly visits to Rush Valley. The three would play pirate. Edward being Captain Metal-Leg and the younger generation being the Elric Pirates, first mates to be exact. The game often became extremely immersive, Ed going as far as to engage their fantasies more intently by spending three hours putting together a paper pirate hat out of black construction paper, glue, and a singular chicken feather taken from their neighbor’s farm. (Which he nearly killed himself getting, as chickens are vicious).

But, as the game became a more integrated part of his lifestyle, it also became his kids’ daily obsession as well. Even going as far as to ask for him to create elaborate stories about adventures on the seven seas, which wasn’t a problem, until they asked for a song. So he thought and wrote then rewrote, and finally it came to him in the middle of the night while rereading one of Al’s letter that had come that passing weekend.

Ed turned his daughter, smiling softly as he answered, “Sure, Nina.”

 

_“Come on board and bring along~ All your hopes and dreams…._

_Together we’ll find everything that we’re lookin’ for~”_

 

That evening, Winry came home to find a small band of “pirates” sprawled across their grassy lawn, all having fallen asleep upon each other in a heap. She smiled, removing the paper hat which covered Ed’s tranquilly resting face, shaking her head.

She was glad to be home with her little crew.

**Author's Note:**

> It's me again! If you enjoyed this story and want to share your affection or want to tell me that the apocalypse is coming and we are all doomed, do so in the comments below. Also, if this tooth-rotting fluff is really your thing, then leave me a favorite, that'd be cool of you. This piece was inspired by the first English opening of well, One Piece, which was sang by Edward Elric's English voice actor and I went from there. So I don't own anything except for my own ideas.
> 
> I'd like to thank my best friend/beta-reader for making sure this was as artery clogging in terms of sweetness and grammatical correctness as it needed to be and also you, because you're reading this, so hey- thanks.


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